Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Susan Jester of Montpelier, Virginia is making a Mandala a Day. She explains, "Mandala is Sanskrit for 'circle.' They are used in Buddhist and Hindu practices as sacred art forms. They often represent the universe. I have been fascinated by them for years, and have joined in the spirit of the 365 group to give myself the push to create them."

Why did you decide to do this project? I was so excited to see all of the 365 projects. I lurked around for a while, like a kid with my nose pressed to a toy store window. It was way past time for me to participate in the creative world online, and I have been dreaming about having a blog since they were called online diaries. So I closed my eyes and clicked my heels together and started. I wanted to see what would happen in my life if I created something daily and shared it with the world.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I am amazed at how many ideas I have thanks to the process of creating a mandala each day. I feel such satisfaction every time I post a photo to the blog. There have been a couple of days when I felt like skipping it, but pushed through and created something nonetheless. It's like keeping a promise to myself every day. My family and friends always look forward to seeing my creations and my kids are a great source of ideas. I also find that I am much more accepting of myself because I am making a conscious effort to allow imperfections into my artwork. Just because one line isn't perfectly placed, I don't toss out the whole mandala. I post each one, flaws and all.

Another nice side effect of this project is that I am using art supplies that I have been collecting for years and years. I am also using found objects and seeing the artistic possibilities in everything I look at.

This is by far one of the best things I have begun. Thank you for giving us all a big push.